What causes tunneling?

A. The Q&A at this link addresses the issue of what to do about tunneling, but don’t click just yet…

Tunneling can be caused by:

1. The outer wrapper is too moist or too oily, and does not burn at the same rate as the filler and binder, the latter of which is used for its excellent burning qualities.

2. The filler and binder are not rolled tightly enough, and again, because the binder is designed to burn well, the inner tobaccos take off, leaving the wrapper behind. Or, the filler and binder are a little dry, causing the inner leaves to burn that much faster.

When you light up, be sure you get a good even burn across the entire foot. The leaf at the center, usually the Ligero, burns the slowest. If the cigar really burns well, you should get a nicely formed cone, or “cherry” when you tap off the ash.

Gary Korb

Gary Korb has been writing and editing content for CigarAdvisor.com since its debut in 2008. An avid cigar smoker for over 30 years, during the past 12 years he has worked on the marketing side of the premium cigar business as a Sr. Copywriter, blogger, and cigar reviewer. A graduate of the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, prior to his career in the cigar business, Gary worked in the music and video industry as a marketer and a publicist.